1:49 - 2:14 was a stunning piece of cinema. Thank you Anthony

Totally bummed we didn't get "Anthony Ng-tano here", icl.

They Might Be Giants deserve to be mentioned amongst the greatest bands ever. They’ve been doing it solidly and consistently for 40 years and they have never put out a bad album. Amazing group.

GENUINELY SO GLAD THAT YOU DID A CLASSICS REVIEW FOR THIS ALBUM!!!! Lincoln is my favorite TMBG album out of their early years, so I'm so happy seeing you praise it.

Great review, I fucking love this album. I think one thing thats not mentioned as directly here is just how fantastic TMBGs melody writing is. They know every pop melodic trick in the book and mash things together in the most novel and musical ways. So many sophisticated and catchy melodic structures fly by in a blink without a lick of pretension

Ana Ng is my absolute favorite song from them. Just love it to death.

That glasses joke made me snort water out of my nose

It's weird, I could swear Fantano gets so much sexier out of the blue at 2:08

Doctor worm is a triumph for humanity they might be giants are the best thing earth has to offer

I would love to see a tier list for them

this has to be one of the most insane classic weeks in Fantano history, and i am glad to be able to experience it live

This album is so good wasn’t expecting this but love it nonetheless, think I prefer flood but can’t go wrong with most of their stuff

Oh man this video is such a treat for me. A fan since the mid 90’s and a few months ago I decided to start a newsletter on Substack where each week, I will write about every song by They Might Giants. It’s called “Kiss Me, Son of Blog.” Named for my favorite track. I begin writing about Lincoln in 2 weeks. It’s more about my memories first listens, what was going on in my life, and interpretations of each song. Less critical music theory. Your review is spot on.

My favorite lyric on here: "I love the world and if I have to sue for custody...I will sue for custody"

Why was the melon still warm, who had been there?

Yes it’s a funny and zany album, but They’ll Need a Crane has some of the most devastating lyrics of all time

Their Malcom in the Middle theme song is all-time great.

Finally a relevant time for me to say that the TMBG cover of Bills, Bills, Bills is one of the greatest covers ever

Beatles, Waka Flocka, They Might Be Giants. A very natural progression

john & john are absolute geniuses. loved these guys my whole life. they are still putting out great music and are a killer live act.

Don't forget that John Linnell is the voice of the Poopsmith on Homestar Runner.

The way the guitar and accordion mesh on the opening riff of Ana Ng - for me at least - is one of those 'what on earth is that?' moments. Outside of Pirate and Folk metal you just don't hear this sort of thing.

First band I ever listened to and I still go see them live whenever they're in town for me. My tastes have grown and changed far, far away from TMBG, but they're always in my heart. I can go back and listen through any of their albums and feel much more like myself by the end of it.

Fifth year in a row begging for a Soundtracks for the Blind review

anthony had me giggling and kicking my feet when he took those glasses off

Their album "Here Comes Science" is so good. I bought it for my nephews when they were little and they loved it. Singing along with it -- "Science is REEEEAAAALLLL!!" -- and enjoying the animated videos with each song.

I took a deep dive on these guys last year since I had tickets to see them and Sparks at the Hollywood Bowl. They’re phenomenal. One of the funnest deep dives I’ve taken on a band

not sure if it counts as a classic but you gotta review Who Will Cut Out Hair When We're Gone - The Unicorns. This album deserves so much more recognition

Was aware of TMBG for years because of "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and I had listened to Flood a year or two ago in the background. I listened to Lincoln literally yesterday for the first time after Melon sang the hook from "Kiss Me, Son Of God" on one of the Let's Argues. Best decision ever to listen to this.

Thank you for digging deep for one of my all time favorite records. "They'll Need A Crane" is a pop rock masterpiece!

Melon you’ve made me the happiest little boy on earth. This is perhaps the first album I fell in love with, so happy to hear you sing it’s praises!!

Please do a classic review of XTC - Skylarking. An 80s pop concept masterpiece. Produced by Todd Rundgren, performance art at its most accessible level.

Not only did Lincoln hunt vampires, they might've been giants as well

XTC: Drums and WIres or English Settlement would be a nice complimentary review to this one imo. Both really fun pop artists.

So so so thankful you do these every year. Coming back to this video almost six months later just to say THIS VIDEO HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. I’m now completely obsessed with this album and their early out put going on months now. Lincoln has become an all time favorite of mine. Thank you so much for introducing this album to me.

I love this album with all my heart. Kiss Me, Son of God is such a well written song.

Loving the picks for Classic Week this year

TMBG are also incredible live. Their shows are the most enjoyable nerd fests I’ve ever been to. They are so fun and they have the best sense of humor.

They Might Be Giants seem to pop up everywhere, I only found out this year that they wrote Dr. Evil, the song that plays in the credits of Austin Powers 2!

I'm not a Fantano fanboy but the second I found out he was a TMBG fan I have been dying for a review because its so nice hearing the band get mentioned anywhere

Early TMBG is a fantastic specimen of a band that takes the bold route and makes songs out of whatever unusual instruments and sounds appeal to their ears. For example, "Lie Still Little Bottle" is basically a stomp/clap performance art piece, "Stand On Your Own Head" is constructed out of scrappy banjo strumming, etc.

Absolutely hilarious, I literally maybe 2 weeks ago or so have become absolutely obsessed with this album, so fucking good my lord. Thank you based melon for reviewing indie unknown artists!!!!

Of course this is a classic, I mean this is the same band who made Hot Dog from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! The absolute peak of songwriting and producing

For anyone new or unexperienced with TMBG, find their Dial-a-Song compilation. It's the perfect starting point to their body of work. I absolutely wore out mine as a kid.

According to Spotify, TMBG was my most listened to artist throughout the 2010s, so I was bound to love this review. I love that they keep recording fantastic music

Not sure what i was expecting for classic reviews, but it CERTAINLY was not TMBG. Awesome review melon, love to see it. Does this mean youre also a Homestar Runner fan? Can we get a Strong Bad Sings review for classics week?

I kinda wish you started the review introducing them as “Brooklyn-based duo They Might Be Giants” like absolutely every tv host in the 80’s and 90’s.

So surprised and DELIGHTED that you did this. This album has been making me happy for over thirty years. Thank you so much!

Utter disbelief to see you choose this album. I’ve been obsessed with it lately, and I think it really is a masterpiece, even though it’s overshadowed by flood. Every deep cut is hilarious and brilliant, especially my favorite Where Your Eyes Don’t Go

Love this album, fantastic choice for Classic Week

TMBG super fan here since my middle school computer teacher had The Mesopotamians on his playlist for class, I would do a fair bit to see you appreciate my favorite album of theirs' Apollo 18. But i would love to have you take a look at their whole discography as like a stream or a long form review. Their history in that early alt scene, late 90s punk scene, and surprisingly good children's albums with insane lyricism of the modern day alt cynic they've grown to be over the decades

Anthony thanks for turning me to this amazing band, glad you listened to my recommendation!

They Might Be Giants might be one of my favorite duos in rock ever, their sound is just so smooth and their lyrics can be so in depth. And their singing style can be so unique which just makes is just thr cherry on top.

Lincoln works so freaking well as an album. It's like its own type of music. Just this amazing blend of surrealness, humor and depression that somehow all fits together.

Always happy to see tmbg get recognition

I've known this band from making that awesome "Courage The Cowardly Dog" song that used to play in CN back in the day, and I never really gave them a second thought until a few years ago when (funnily enough) Melon sang some lyrics from "Kiss Me Son Of God" at the end of one of his Let's Argue videos - and that led me to finally check out this album. Great record, and def influential.

Did even mention how the track You'll Miss Me single handedly inspired Death Grips

I saw TMBG back in 2012 and let me tell you the crowd went *nuts* when they played Cowtown.

I'm shocked Anthony didn't mention the subject of Purple Toupee and how humorously it tackles the subject of commercialized nostalgia.

I heard anthony humming the closer of the album Kiss me son of God in a "Let's argue" episode and looked up the album then. Its now probably one of my favourite albums of all time. Thanks Melon

TMBG doesn’t get nearly enough recognition. Such a prolific, creative and unique duo. Very influential too.

my 12th year in a row begging for a vespertine classic review

I’ve been listening to this album and Flood for the past few weeks now you upload this. Love to see it👍

This was an album I listened to a lot in my childhood. My dad had this album, Apollo 18, and Flood on cassettes and CDs and I always loved Apollo 18 the most of the three (and probably still do, TBH), but Lincoln always holds a special place in my heart and I’m always discovering new oddities about it. I recently stopped to actually listen to the lyrics on all the tracks and the fact “They’ll Need A Crane” is one of the most heart rending breakup songs ever is not something my childhood self would have predicted.

y'all please recommend more underrated rock classics for me, this is so fire

I used to listen to this & their debut obsessively. I think the uncanniness and eeriness in those first two albums is haunting and hypnotizing. & their talent for melodies (Linnell especially) is super underrated. I think TMBG hit another mid-career peak with the 2011 album Join Us. That album - and the first half of their next album Nanboots - is almost all bangers.

I’m sorry this is totally unrelated but can you do a Mahavishnu Orchestra album for one of your classics next year? The world would benefit by you turning more people onto them if you’re so inclined. Any of their albums will do pretty much. I’ll try to remind you later in the year. Thank you for being the deservedly renowned reviewer that you are ❤️

Love it so much! Lincoln isn’t my favorite TMBG album but I would love to see more TMBG reviews!!!!

1:48 I missed this type of goofiness in Anthony's reviews so much lmao

Bro saved the best classics for 2024 classic week 🫡

MY FAVORITE ALBUM!! Been spinning this record for months on my turntable since I got my hands on it. Good take, Tony.

I’ve been back and forth on whether Lincoln, Flood or Pink is my favorite TMBG album but the fact that all 3 of those consistently rank in my top 20 albums ever is a testament to how TMBG are some of the most amazing pop musicians ever.

I've only heard a few songs from those guys, but they're all so unique, they really seems like a band like no other. Curious to hear it

So happy this album got a review- TMBG are one of my all-time favorites

Great review overall. Often seems like he misses one important thing in a lot of his reviews, and in this case it pertains to his assertion that TMBG is not "replicable". It's sort of his explanation for why you might not feel their broader influence in music. I think there is one area in particular they have been quite influential, and it's sort of the one thing you want to explain to people who aren't familiar with their music. Which is that the cornerstone of their style is to pair quirky, upbeat melodies with some of the darkest lyrics. Yes some of the things they are saying are obtuse, but even the most cryptically surreal lines often deliver dark imagery, like a confusing bad dream. Although few bands are outright derivative of TMBG in their approach (Cheekface is in the ballpark), I think this notion of the sugar coated bitter pill has become an alt rock trope and they should get some credit (or blame?) for it.

Lol, been waiting for another TMBG album review. The only other review I've seen Fantano do on TMBG before this one was Join Us.

Picked up the vinyl due to this review. I was blown away by it. I can't get it off the turntable. So good. Lincoln rules! I just ordered more TMBG vinyl. Thank you for reviewing this!

The moment you talked about Hollywood made me realize i would love to hear you review classic movie soundtracks. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the groundbreaking work like Wendy Carlos’ A Clockwork Orange, the pop and rock pastiche of Paul Williams’ Phantom of The Paradise or more recently Pemberton’s hybrid work on the Into/across The Spiderverse movies. Or soundtracks by Reznor & Ross, The Social Network for exemple. I’d certainly watch that.

Ever since hearing mammals from the "Hot Hits : Adventurous New Music Sampler" that came with my Sega CD" I have been a huge fan of TMBG. My friend and I listened to this song on repeat way past any semblance of sanity.

my mind just got blown finding out this band is who made the Malcolm in the Middle theme song

It's time for my semi-annual TMBG kick, and I love that you did a review of a 36-year-old album that still sounds fresh today. Lincoln is hands-down my favorite of theirs. Timeless.

Can we agree: Fantano is sexy with glasses on and off

I think this is the first time on a Fantano video where I haven't seen rehashed garbage meme jokes anywhere within the first few dozen top comments. The power of TMBG has vanquished the brainless horde.

Thank you for taking my advise in your “I’m too negative” Fantano video where I said you’re only ever funny in your red flannel videos so I specifically watch those for that reason. Due to your geek who takes off his glasses joke executed so perfectly, I may start watching your yellow flannel videos a bit more now!

OMG YES! Finally a TMBG classic review, i needed this in my life

need deathconciousness review

Friend recommend the album to me when it was a new release. I was familiar with Ana Ng so I bought the CD strictly on those 2 points. At first I was confused & perplexed... But grew to love this album SO MUCH.

I got introduced to TMBG through Homestar Runner. Unsure if I should be proud or embarrassed by this fact.

Appreciated the homage to yourself, that was an intimate moment we shared, Anthony

YAYYYY!!!! Classics week is always great but I'm really loving this year's run!

When traveling or on a road trip, I start each and every day with a COWTOWN and it is impossible to be grumpy

12:26 This bit made me happy, yes, there are so many little subtle hints of TMBG inspiration with Open Mike’s music, love it.

I saw them live with no prior knowledge of them other than knowing some of their theme songs and it was simultaneously one of the longest and most fun shows I’ve been to

IT WAS INFORMATIONAL ENOUGH!! holy crap i grew up 8-12 not knowing music but found tmbg and spent money on their albums on itunes even! grew up to them not knowing anyone who knew them my age haha. so cool to hear someone else’s love for them

As a big TMBG fan i want to say thank you! You should review their 6th studio album Factory Showroom, its my favorite.

been wanting this for a while! So glad!

I love this album so much. It's easily in my Top 5 albums from the 80s. Also, I once worked out an arrangement of Kiss Me, Son of God on my lap steel guitar.

pencil rain is my fav, from malcolm in the middle

TMBG was a staple of the playlists I made for my kids. Fast forward, my sons (19 and 17) went to see them last year, and I've never seen them happier.

PLEASE do a Songs for the Deaf Classic Review. The world needs a SFTD Classic Review.